The Major Takeaways From James Comey’s Testimony About Wiretapping, Trump & Russia

Hint: Obama didn't do it.

In what has been the most mind-boggling fifty-two days in history, the presidency of Donald Trump has been long on crazy, short on logic. And for people who have things to do other than protest in the street or crawl under the covers wishing it over, it is simple to miss out on some developments.

Yesterday (March 20), FBI Director James Comey testified at a hearing of the House Intelligence Committee as they investigate allegations that Russia interfered with the election. Here, a cheat sheet to what he said and what it means.

Q: Did Obama order a wiretap?

A: No

Comey said: “With respect to the President’s tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior Administration, I have no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the FBI. The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components. The Department has no information that supports those tweets.”

Q: Is there an official FBI investigation into Russia’s involvement in the election?

A: Yes

Comey said: “The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence effort, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 president election…That includes, investigating the nature of any links between associates of the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaigning the Russian effort.”

Q: So what has the FBI learned so far?

A: ???

Comey said: “All I can tell you is that we are investigating whether there was any collusion or coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.”

Q: What do they think they will learn?

A: You already know the answer to that.

Comey said: “I think that was a fairly easy judgment for the [intelligence] community. Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much, that the flip side of that coin was he had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much.”